Uthman ibn Affan

Uthman ibn Affan Facts

Here is a list of ten key facts to introduce you to who Caliph Uthman was and how he fits into the history of Islam.

1. Caliph Uthman was the third caliph to rule the Islamic community after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Before his rule came Caliph Abu Bakr and Caliph Umar, and after him came Caliph Ali.
2. Caliph Uthman ruled for a total of twelve years between 644 and 656. This made him the longest reigning caliph out of the Rashidun Caliphs.
3. Caliph Uthman was one of the first converts to Islam in Mecca during the early preaching years of the Prophet Muhammad.
4. Caliph Uthman was married to the Prophet Muhammad's daughter Ruqayyah. This made him the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad.
5. Caliph Uthman was part of the Banu Umayya clan of the Quraysh tribe. This tribe was originally hostile to the Prophet Muhammad. His accession to the caliphate showed the start of the rise of the Umayyads in Islam.
6. Caliph Uthman ordered the official compilation of the Qur'an.
7. Caliph Uthman liked appointing his relatives and close friends to positions of governance. This made him extremely unpopular.
8. The Rashidun Caliphate reached its peak size under Caliph Uthman. Most of Uthman's military conquests were successful, including a significant naval battle against the Byzantine Empire.
9. Caliph Uthman was assassinated in 656.
10. The death of Caliph Uthman started a major conflict in Islam about who had the right to become caliph. This led to the First Fitna.

Uthman ibn Affan Biography

Let's take a look at the life of Uthman ibn Affan, from his birth in Mecca to his assassination as caliph.

Early Life

Uthman was born into the Banu Umayya clan of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca in around 576 C.E. This made him a close contemporary of the Prophet Muhammad, who was born around 570 C.E.

Uthman's father died at a young age, leaving Uthman a large inheritance. He became one of the wealthiest merchants in Mecca.

Conversion to Islam

Uthman originally believed in many local deities, as did the rest of the polytheistic Quraysh tribe. However, one day, his friend Abu Bakr, who would later become the first Rashidun Caliph, introduced Uthman to Islam.

When Uthman decided to convert to Islam, Abu Bakr took him to see the Prophet Muhammad to officially proclaim his new faith. This made Uthman one of the very first converts to Islam. Not long after, Uthman married the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, Ruqayyah.

However, Uthman's conversion angered his clan, the Banu Umayya. In 615, he decided to migrate to Ethiopia with his wife and several other Muslims because of the hostility they encountered in Mecca as followers of the Prophet Muhammad. However, they later made the decision to return to Mecca despite the antagonism of the Quraysh tribe.

Uthman in Medina

In 622, Uthman migrated to Medina along with the Prophet Muhammad, Abu Bakr and the other Muslims who were being persecuted in Mecca for their faith. He never rose to any prominence during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad.

Reigns of Abu Bakr and Umar

Uthman and Abu Bakr were very close friends. During the reign of Abu Bakr, Uthman began to hold more important positions, for example, acting as Abu Bakr's advisor in Medina during the Ridda Wars. Uthman was even given the important role of dictating Abu Bakr's will, and was present while Abu Bakr was on his deathbed.

Uthman continued to hold a significant role during the reign of Caliph Umar. He was one of the six people that Umar appointed to choose who the next caliph would be. This committee chose Uthman to be the next caliph, although Uthman himself voted for Ali to become caliph.

Illustration of Muhammad with the first three caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman

Uthman as Caliph

So, what did Uthman do as caliph, and what was he like?

Death of Uthman ibn Affan

In summer 656, 1000 rebels assembled from across the caliphate to protest against Uthman in Medina. They besieged Uthman's house, but Uthman refused to fight despite the fact that his supporters outnumbered the rebels, saying that he wanted to avoid bloodshed among fellow believers.

However, one Kharijite managed to slip inside the house and kill Uthman. Uthman's two wives were also harmed in the attack. He died before he could name a successor, and Ali proclaimed himself caliph, leading to the first conflict of the Islamic community.

Uthman ibn Affan Quotes

One of the lesser-known facts about Caliph Uthman is that he had a talent for proclaiming wise sayings about faith and life. Here are a few examples of quotes attributed to Uthman ibn Affan.

Uthman ibn Affan Achievements

Let's look at an overview of the things that Uthan ibn Affan achieved:

1. Military Successes - nearly all of Uthman's military expeditions met with success. By the end of his period of rule, the Islamic caliphate had conquered lands as far west as north Africa and as far east as modern day Pakistan.
2. Naval Success - Uthman built up the first Islamic navy, which won an astounding victory against the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of the Masts in 655.
3. Financial Reforms - Uthman's skill in finance led to a period of prosperity in the Islamic caliphate.
4. Welfare State - Uthman consolidated and expanded the early welfare state introduced by his predecessor, Umar.
5. Unity - Uthman may have had some serious opponents, but on the whole he managed to maintain unity within the Islamic caliphate. It was on his death that the conflict within Islam about who had the right to become caliph erupted into real violence.
6. Qur'an - Uthman organised the first official compilation of the Qur'an. This is the holy book of Islam.

An ancient copy of a page of the Qur'an

Uthman ibn Affan Stories and Historiography

Now we know all about Uthman ibn Affan, let's explore some key areas of historical inquirt.

Good Caliph/Bad Caliph?

The popular story of Caliph Uthman in Islam today is that he was a pious leader, whose reign was characterised by peace and prosperity. Sunni Muslims believe that Uthman's downfall came about because of his relaxed approach to leadership. He relaxed many of the financial and social restrictions which Umar had introduced, and therefore, Sunnis think that people took advantage of Uthman's lenient way of handling the caliphate.

However, not everyone agrees with this interpretation. Historian Wilferd Madelung argues that this rosy picture of Uthman was only developed later, and that people at the time believed Uthman was a poor caliph. He points out that

This perspective is corroborated by Heather Keaney's analysis of three ninth-century Islamic chronicles. She finds that two of the three perspectives at this time viewed Uthman as:

This shows that the current story of Uthman's glorious and pious reign is an over-simplification and certainly not how early Muslims perceived this caliph.

Fig. 2 - The iconic calligraphy of the third Rashidun Caliph, Uthman ⁵

Why did Uthman die?

The second great debate centres on the question of why Uthman was assassinated - was it his fault, what were the reasons for the rebellion, and why was there such conflict about his rule?